Appeals court halts Florida felons from registering to vote, pending further review
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Source: The Miami Herald
FLORIDA POLITICS
Appeals court halts Florida felons from registering to vote, pending further review
BY LAWRENCE MOWER HERALD/TIMES TALLAHASSEE BUREAU
JULY 01, 2020 06:05 PM , UPDATED 1 HOUR 11 MINUTES AGO
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John Legend talks about restoring voting rights to former felons
Singer John Legend attended a special hearing in Miami-Dade in November 2019 and spoke about restoring voting rights for former felons under Florida’s Amendment 4. BY JACK BROOK
TALLAHASSEE
A federal appellate court has temporarily stopped a judge’s order that granted hundreds of thousands of felons the right to vote, the latest turn in Florida’s battle over felon voting rights.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled in favor of state officials and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who asked the court to stop a ruling in May by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle. Hinkle ruled that DeSantis and Florida elections officials can’t keep felons from voting if they can’t afford to pay all court fees, fines and restitution, finding that the requirement is unconstitutional.
The court’s order also states that the entire panel of 11th Circuit judges will hear the case, a rare decision that was requested by DeSantis. The panel, which is known as one of the more conservative appellate courts in the nation, includes two judges that DeSantis had first appointed to Florida’s Supreme Court.
The decision is a setback for the hundreds of thousands of felons who were granted the ability to vote under Hinkle’s order. A spokesman for Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee, who oversees the state’s Division of Elections, did not respond to questions about the ruling.
Read more: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article243940477.html
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